TL;DR

  • Efforts like Graphene OS face increasing pressure from apps that refuse to run on non-standard Android.
  • The custom ROM project characterizes Google’s approach to device attestation as incomplete and flawed.
  • Graphene OS is prepared to take legal action if Google won’t let it pass Play Integrity checks.
  • MentalEdge
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    7 months ago

    Hell yes.

    It’s fucking open source, this is no different from games with intrusive anti-cheat refusing to run on Linux, except in this case it’s not even a different OS.

    It’s monopolistic and anti-user.

    • lemmyvore
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      107 months ago

      Ironically, if Graphene would succeed, it would lead to a system that’s every bit as locked down as a manufacturer’s Android. GrapheneOS would also not allow you to have root etc.

      IMO Graphene wants a place at the big player table. They’re not in it for user freedoms.

      • @saiarcot895@programming.dev
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        57 months ago

        A manufacturer’s Android can have special privileges for their own apps, and almost will certainly have special privileges for Google’s apps.

        Graphene by default wouldn’t give special privileges to any app, so that’s at least a plus.

        It’s true that it would be locked down, but you at least have a couple more controls over how locked down compared to a manufacturer’s OS.

  • @umbrella@lemmy.ml
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    7 months ago

    yeah. like my manufacturers’ 3-year-old, full-o-spyware ROM is more secure than latest clean installed lineage.

    they just want control, not security. and with banking apps becoming a necessity, i’m starting to be forced to return to stock.

    • @Cyyy@lemmy.world
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      237 months ago

      same bs with apps not running jidt because root or apps not being visible in playstore because of it. Netflix isn’t even showing up as existing in playstore just because i have root. it’s nuts. and there are tons of apps like this.

      • @x00z@lemmy.world
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        127 months ago

        Netflix and their DRM is so extremely stupid it’s incomprehensible. It only hurts normal users while the rippers have no issues getting the content.

      • @ReveredOxygen@sh.itjust.works
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        67 months ago

        You can fix most apps with the Play Integrity Fix module and denylist. You might have to hide the magisk app too. It doesn’t get 100% of them though, I still can’t figure out how my bank app is catching it. Plus I’ve had RCS stop working with that setup, so I have to keep it disabled to avoid missing messages

    • @newproph@sh.itjust.works
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      517 months ago

      graphene sandboxes Google services so they don’t run as root on your device. I haven’t encountered an app I can’t get running on graphene yet and having Google play installed as non root is a far sight better than stock.

      my biggest problem with lineage was compatibility with banking apps so I reluctantly switched but graphene is a solid choice in operating system for privacy and security.

      • @kspatlas@lemm.ee
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        37 months ago

        Graphene is great, but I’m currently on a Xiaomi phone so I can’t run most ROMs, I’ll likely run derpfest when I get the bootloader unlocked

          • @kspatlas@lemm.ee
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            27 months ago

            I haven’t tried it yet, but it seems to have a lot of pixel features ported, I realized crDroid supports my phone so I might try that

        • @newproph@sh.itjust.works
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          97 months ago

          not really. after enabling oem unlocking in developer options you just boot it while holding one of the volume buttons and you’re able to unlock the bootloader.

          root is not typically available and you don’t need it for most uses besides development, but even then, I would recommend not using a phone you daily for that.

      • Markus Sugarhill
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        627 months ago

        Culprit is: I need the phones app as second factor to log in to the web interface.

        • @pdxfed@lemmy.world
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          347 months ago

          Yep been seeing more of that. Will just refuse to use it on my phone.

          It’s been clear for at least 10 years that apps are about data harvesting not making something more useful or easier to use or more universal than a mobile website.

        • @vividspecter@lemm.ee
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          37 months ago

          I’d just leave for a different bank at that point, although I get that it’s not always practical.

        • @HappyRedditRefugee@lemm.ee
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          17 months ago

          Graphene os + a work profile + sandboxed play services allows you to have some baking apps. Ive got 3 and they all work without a hitch.

    • @aquinteros@lemmy.world
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      77 months ago

      I have been using stock for a while, but I remember using magisk root to hide root to the bank app and I never had an issue

      • @umbrella@lemmy.ml
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        77 months ago

        i do that but sadly it aint working anymore. they implemented a new google sanctioned way of blocking it that hasnt been cracked yet.

      • @umbrella@lemmy.ml
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        7 months ago

        thats what i do atm, but its a shitty solution when i have a perfectly good phone. it defeats the purpose.

        the irony is, my second phone is probably less secure, because its stuck in an ancient version of android.

  • @SpiceDealer@lemmy.world
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    1797 months ago

    I really hope the GrapheneOS team succeed. Custom ROMs are reason I’m really into tech today. Coding, FOSS, Linux, etc. all that came from rooting my dad’s HTC phone back in the day. Google shouldn’t cannibalize its children.

  • @flop_leash_973@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    The world of mobile phones is a real world example of what we avoided on the PC back in the day when the IBM BIOS got reverse engineered, allowing for someone to put out an IBM compatible PC without having to pay the tithe to big blue first. Not that IBM didn’t do their level best to put those efforts in the ground with their lawyers and the courts as soon as they found out about it. Thankfully the legal system of the time didn’t allow that to happen.

    It has been pretty depressing to me that the tech literate have been so easily lulled into accepting such things in the name of “cool toys” and “security” virtually everywhere in modern life besides the PC/laptop/server spaces.

    Phones, TV set top boxes, smart TVs, IoT gear. They are all a cesspit of locked down propitiatory and gate kept gardens where nothing happens without the gardens keeper getting a cut and having final say over everything.

    This sort of control and gatekeeping from the likes of Google, Apple, and Qualcomm was not something that was hard to see coming a mile away, yet we all collectively let it happen anyway.

    • @dejected_warp_core@lemmy.world
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      97 months ago

      It has been pretty depressing to me that the tech literate have been so easily lulled into accepting such things in the name of “cool toys” and “security” virtually everywhere in modern life besides the PC/laptop/server spaces.

      From my exposure to supporting said folks with PC related problems, its easy to see the reality here. Phones provide a streamlined experience with zero frills. They don’t want super flexible computing devices, they want appliances. More to the point, the level of care and maintenance needed to have a top-shelf PC experience is time and effort most people would rather not expend. Doing this right was inconvenient to begin with, and left the field wide open for anything that would be easier.

      • @flop_leash_973@lemmy.world
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        127 months ago

        My complaint is not that the “appliance” solutions exist for those that want them. But that there is next to no room in the market now for options that are not those “appliance” solutions for those that do want them but also want to take part in the modern tech world with things like NFC payments without having to trick the services with Magisk modules.

        • @dejected_warp_core@lemmy.world
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          97 months ago

          Oh, we’re on the same page there. I’m complaining about that too. Things are shifting from “make the environment easier for some people” to “painstakingly chisel out an expert mode like you’re escaping from Shawshank.” and I do not like it.

      • @NicolaHaskell@lemmy.world
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        77 months ago

        Heracles could shoot the eagle and break the chains, but then Prometheus might inform Zeus of the path to Troy. Titanomachy is one way of exchanging fire, but I’m human and content to hand it back and forth between each other. The pain of letting go is nuclear enough after Gaia and Uranus’s Family Vacation tore valleys through the mountains.

        • @interdimensionalmeme@lemmy.ml
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          37 months ago

          Chatgpt, decode this thread

          Your message draws heavily on mythological references and metaphor to discuss the evolution of technology, particularly the ongoing shifts in computing power and platforms. Let’s break it down:

          Stolen Fire from the Gods: This likely references the myth of Prometheus stealing fire from the gods to give to humanity, symbolizing the act of bringing powerful, once-guarded knowledge or technology to the masses. In a modern context, this could relate to how advanced computing technology, once limited to powerful PCs, is now becoming more accessible.
          
          ARM Snapdragon X: ARM architecture, particularly Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips, powers many modern smartphones and tablets. The "Snapdragon X" might symbolize the next step in this evolution, suggesting that these mobile processors are becoming powerful enough to rival traditional PCs, effectively turning a smartphone into a desktop-like experience.
          
          Heracles and the Eagle: In the myth, Heracles shoots the eagle that tortures Prometheus, which could represent a disruption or liberation. Here, it might be a metaphor for technological breakthroughs that disrupt the current state of computing, potentially "freeing" users from traditional PC constraints.
          
          Prometheus informing Zeus: This could suggest the risks of such breakthroughs—informing Zeus of the path to Troy might hint at unintended consequences or revealing strategies that could lead to new challenges or conflicts, perhaps hinting at issues of control, security, or privacy in technology.
          
          Titanomachy: The Titanomachy was a war between the Titans and the Olympians. This might symbolize large-scale technological battles or shifts, like the competition between different tech giants or platforms.
          
          Human Exchange of Fire: Unlike the gods, humans share knowledge and technology with each other, passing "fire" back and forth, which could represent the collaborative and iterative nature of technological progress.
          
          Pain of Letting Go: Innovation often comes with sacrifices—letting go of older technologies or familiar ways of doing things, which can be as painful and destructive as nuclear fission, perhaps referencing the intense impact and change technology can bring, much like the mythological conflicts that reshaped the world.
          
          Gaia and Uranus's Family Vacation: This refers to the myth where Gaia (Earth) and Uranus (Sky) bore the Titans, leading to significant upheavals. This could symbolize the fundamental, tectonic shifts that technological advancements create in society, reshaping landscapes (both literal and metaphorical).
          

          In essence, your message seems to discuss the transformation of computing power, the challenges of innovation, and the profound impacts technology has on society, all wrapped in a mythological narrative.

  • @androidisking@lemmy.world
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    1237 months ago

    Here’s a harsh truth and a reality some tech users need to wake up to.

    Google has never cared about open-source. They have never cared about user-choice/user freedom. They could easily tomorrow make Android closed-source and that would be the end of Android. It has always been about control. Apple got that authoritarian idea correct long ago by locking down the entire OS.

    Google is allowing open-source modding only because there’s a large community out there that cares and wants it to thrive. And since it runs on Linux, it would make Google look VERY bad if they removed bootloader unlocking, open source, removed features that causes issues for custom roms.

    Google doesn’t care you YOU. If they really cared, they wouldn’t be slowly removing features or adding anti-user features that in the long run, don’t benefit anyone but them.

    I’m glad the government declared them a convicted monopoly. I’m still ashamed it took them this long to finally go through with it.

    What an insane world we live in.

    • @auzy@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      There is another side to this coin though,

      Android roms took googles work. The community could have assisted with other mobile os systems like Firefox OS or Ubuntu mobile but didn’t.

      Instead ROM developers wanted a cookie cutter solution.

      In practice, Android is actually fairly open. Republicans have a weird obsession with Google (remember that weird hearing where they clearly didn’t understand technology). You can even disable the inbuilt apps

      This could lead to a situation like windows where 50 popups are added. It’s could backfire and it benefits Apple a lot. That’s what I’m concerned about. I’m worried that I’ll end up paying for Gmail or more for Android. And Google will get blamed for it

      • @Squizzy@lemmy.world
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        137 months ago

        Can you handily disable notifications being monitored or the keyboard informing google on your typing? Disabling apps is surface level, the software is free to te end user for a reason, google harvests us.

      • @pathief@lemmy.world
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        387 months ago

        Android ROMs community took Google’s work? Are you forgetting which community developed Kernel does Android use? Let’s not think about the custom ROMs community as free loaders, please. They provide a free and amazing service.

    • @LwL@lemmy.world
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      77 months ago

      Afaik GPL 2 would be stopping google from making android closed source anyway, unless I got something wrong about the license terms. But if anything that supports your argument. The main reason google is generally supportive of open source is that they recognize that they benefit from it. The moment that changes, google will try their best to close off anything it can (granted I don’t think it’s that likely to change, but they’re already abusing their position plenty).

  • bitwolf
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    7 months ago

    Really the only thing holding me back from switching to GrapheneOS is that some of my apps fail CTS.

    If a proper pathway is defined for custom ROMs I’d switch in a heartbeat.

    Hoping this initiative leads to a reasonable outcome.

  • @jhdeval@lemmy.world
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    1017 months ago

    Here’s my take which i have not seen in this thread. When you buy your hardware it is yours you should be allowed to do with it as you please. If you want to wipe the device and install another ROM or os you should be able to. Much like the recent fight for “right to repair” not allowing you to do what you want with your property should not be allowed. As long as the manufacturer blocks your ability to do what you want with your hardware it isn’t really your hardware.

    • @gerbler@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      Furthermore, if the manufacturer wants to pretend that they’re selling you a perpetual license to use the hardware or whatever legal bullshit they came up with on the back of a cocktail napkin between lines of coke then they can’t advertise using the words buy, own or anything similar without explicitly indicating in the largest font that you aren’t the owner of the product.

    • lemmyvore
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      267 months ago

      Unfortunately that line of thinking stops at the divide between hardware and software. You can legally make a phone manufacturer let you unlock a phone’s bootloader so you can install other software, and you can forbid them from denying hardware warranty because you installed other software. Both of which apply in the EU.

      But you can’t make them have their software support or play nice with the other software that you install.

      You also can’t force manufacturers to open up drivers if they’re under NDAs and proprietary licensing (which they often are, due to extensive cross licensing because everybody’s owning patents that can lead to everybody suing everybody if they were ever used).

      • @stormeuh@lemmy.world
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        137 months ago

        To combat this I think drivers, firmware, etc. should be acknowledged as being in the same category as spare parts, manuals, repair tools, etc. They are equally as vital to being able to repair your device, and therefore should be open sourced at the latest when a manufacturer pulls support. Of course I would prefer them to be open sourced immediately, but with how software IP works currently that seems like a pipe dream, especially for devices with very complex drivers, like GPU’s.

      • @interdimensionalmeme@lemmy.ml
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        57 months ago

        This is why raspberry pi can’t use a single smartphone recycled screen despite having a DSI port and a billion oled touchscreens going to landfill.

        Also, still is impossible to make Verizon unlock bootloaders

      • @jhdeval@lemmy.world
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        17 months ago

        You are absolutely right we can not make them give us access to drivers but just like with nvidia there are people willing to figure it out. I am not for government oversight but if the manufacturers refuse to offer any help then they may need to step in. The EU has made massive strides towards standardizing manufacturers. I also don’t think it would be necessary for the manufacturers to open source their software but its already wrote just release it as closed source so it could be used at the community level.

  • @archchan@lemmy.ml
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    877 months ago

    I wish you could slap a custom rom on whatever phone you want and it Just Works™ like you can slap linux on any PC, but instead we get apps that potentially don’t work, locked bootloaders, push notifications tied to Google Play Services, and whatever else. You can put Lineage on the EU version of my phone but not the US version because fuck you. I hate how corpo centric phones have become. Like Google shouldn’t be allowed to hijack my entire screen for an ad or an app update. The entire modern definition of “sideloading” is BS, apps have access by default to things that they really don’t need, and why do I need to use ADB to purge your pre-installed bloatware ffs

    Not cool.

    • @sfxrlz@lemmy.world
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      147 months ago

      Yeah it would’ve been like that for pcs too if they weren’t around for quite longer.

    • @anon5621@lemmy.ml
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      267 months ago

      We can get same experience quite soon on laptops too when arm laptops&desktop will arrive toensd users.It gonna be lock down same as phones nowdays.

        • @oo1@lemmings.world
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          57 months ago

          risc-V laptops might compete with arm in a few years - maybe not for power users, but for most simpl use , or for those who will just ssh into real computer.

      • @vividspecter@lemm.ee
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        107 months ago

        ngl a unlocked bootloader would be a security nightmare

        So, like a desktop or laptop? Sounds fine to me.

      • @ozymandias117@lemmy.world
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        97 months ago

        How does one flash a ROM without unlocking the bootloader these days?

        Shouldn’t that break Android Verified Boot?

        A pure GSI image could use a Google key, I suppose, but others shouldn’t, right?

      • @FinnFooted@lemmy.world
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        27 months ago

        I’m not an expert, but I had an expert explain that an unlocked boot loader is only risky if you think someone nefarious is physically able to get their hand on your phone. Is that true?

  • @JCreazy@midwest.social
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    207 months ago

    I’m running Graphene OS and its been solid. A few issues here and there with app compatibility but it is fantastic.

  • @Unreliable@lemmy.ml
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    127 months ago

    Even just being rooted on the stock Pixel rom is a fight. It’s a constant cat and mouse game to pass basic and device integrity, but as of recently a lot of us have been able to pass strong integrity as well which has been nice.

    • @FutileRecipe@lemmy.worldOP
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      37 months ago

      Even just being rooted on the stock Pixel rom is a fight.

      That, I can see being more of an issue than an unmodified, trusted 3rd party OS. If I remember right, rooting makes the device fail Verified Boot:

      It establishes a full chain of trust, starting from a hardware-protected root of trust to the bootloader, to the boot partition and other verified partitions including system, vendor, and optionally oem partitions.

      https://source.android.com/docs/security/features/verifiedboot

      • @Unreliable@lemmy.ml
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        27 months ago

        Fair point. At least with stock rooted as I said there’s ways around it and I can pass all play integrity checks and such.

  • @xia@lemmy.sdf.org
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    7 months ago

    What gets me is the “this phone cant be trusted” message on boot. Implying OEM roms are trustworthy, but nothing i choose or create could possibly be.

  • @Blackmist@feddit.uk
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    617 months ago

    Even without the custom ROMs, the whole Android ecosystem is a colossal fucking mess.

    I’ve got old apps that won’t work any more. It’s not even compatible with itself.

    People give Windows a load of shit, and deservedly so for some of it, but it’s a million times more usable than Android when you want shit to “just work”.

    • @Tja@programming.dev
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      237 months ago

      Same with iOS, I don’t know why you are singling out Android here. My favorite game back when I used an iPad stopped working after certain update. It was a puzzle with rails and colored trains, can’t remember the name now.

      Windows and Linux are quite a lot better in this regard.

      • @Blackmist@feddit.uk
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        117 months ago

        I’m not singling them out, it just happens to be a thread about Android.

        There’s no reason for mobile OS’s to be flaky like this. There’s nothing magic about either that means old stuff can’t be supported. It’s just that trillion dollar corporations apparently can’t afford the resources.

        • @Jakeroxs@sh.itjust.works
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          87 months ago

          There kind of is, software changes and things need to be updated by comparison, your windows example is a double edged sword, there’s a lot of bloat and Microsoft can’t make changes that might be beneficial on windows because of all the backwards compatability layers and services they generally leave in. It’s good and bad in it’s own way.

      • @NoisyFlake@lemm.ee
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        07 months ago

        I suppose you’re talking about a 32-bit app that wasn’t updated for the newer 64-bit architecture. If yes, then there’s actually a technical reason behind it, not just Apple being dicks. Because other than 32-bit apps, every app that received a 64-bit update should still work on the latest iOS.

    • @Emerald@lemmy.world
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      87 months ago

      I’ve got old apps that won’t work any more.

      That’s true for every operating system. Old apps aren’t updated to use new system APIs and such and they eventually stop working.

      • @yamanii@lemmy.world
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        67 months ago

        On desktops we can use virtual environments, translation layers, plenty of solutions to make old programs and games work on a modern OS. Phones are somehow incapable of this.

      • @Blackmist@feddit.uk
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        67 months ago

        Yet I can compile applications that work on Windows XP, and they still work under Windows 11.

        It’s not as if Android is some svelte slimline OS where every byte matters. There’s plenty of room there for keeping compatibility with older apps.

        • @TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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          87 months ago

          Dude there’s millions of lines of code and thousands of hours per year that keep old windows shit running. It’s a nightmare to support that. Microsoft has made that a priority and you can easily argue it shouldn’t be, but you seem convinced that’s the only valid path. It’s not.

    • @Squizzy@lemmy.world
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      117 months ago

      How we all wish there was a third option, I would genuinely take less functionality in favour of privacy and performance. I don’t need AI and fancy image processing. I want to use my phone to pay the old way, like when samsung copied the magnetic strip info, not like now where google gets a copy of my receipts.

      Sucks iOS is the alternative, nearly gave in last week but the price was just too much for what I was getting.

    • @FutileRecipe@lemmy.worldOP
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      187 months ago

      I’ve got old apps that won’t work any more.

      I’m actually for this. The bar to entry for the Play Store is too low with too many low quality and unmaintained apps. I’m all for booting insecure and super old apps. They cheapen the ecosystem.

      • @Blackmist@feddit.uk
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        177 months ago

        Well that’s all very well, but I’ve got a bathroom speaker I can no longer access.

        So how about instead of Daddy Google deciding what’s best for everyone, they let things run and give you a warning?

        Hell, I’ve even got games I’ve paid for that are now gone. Honestly, fuck them for even thinking that’s acceptable.

        • @yamanii@lemmy.world
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          117 months ago

          Same, it’s why I never buy a game or app nowadays, they will just stop working when the new OS version comes around, devs already got their money so they don’t have any incentive to care, and contrary to PC I can’t do shit about it myself on my phone, there’s no “androidbox” to run old apps inside my phone.

        • @corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca
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          7 months ago

          You’re really arguing for a covenant around tech that companies want to orphan. The rule needs to be the code is opened and a slacker code owner is appointed for handover.

          This is gonna embarrass Google a Lot but it’s gonna embarrass azn and m$ a whole lot more.

          The forced alternative is a refund if you can bring something recognizable with a serial number to your post office or something as ubiquitous, present and staffed - have them validate in the loosest fashion and require like 10 bizdays for the cash refund.

          Whether or not the post office is there for that or charges the OEM for the notary-light service is a matter for the courts, the USPS, and these days probably the fn SCotUS.

          • @Blackmist@feddit.uk
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            87 months ago

            It doesn’t allow direct connection. You have to dick about with a stupid app to put it in “speaker mode” first.

            • @LinusSexTips@lemmy.world
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              27 months ago

              Gives me Sonos vibes.

              I won a Sonos speaker years ago, thing needed (from memory) an app to switch to AUX mode. The speaker sounded great but I didn’t want to install an app just to use the thing.

              In a grand spectacle my ex’s cat kicked a potplant off a windowsill into our fish tank. That shorted a power board, we didn’t have breakers (ceramic / wire fuses) which ended up killing the speaker.

              Honestly as nice of a speaker it was, good riddance.

          • @Blackmist@feddit.uk
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            37 months ago

            So it’s my choice to run them?

            If I can download an APK, I should be able to run it in a “compatibility mode” and have the OS do it’s best to run it.

            • @gh0stcassette@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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              17 months ago

              There’s a few apps that let you virtualize an older version of Android, but in my experience they’re slow, and they’re all from sketchy-looking Chinese companies that are for sure harvesting all your data. There’s also an open source project running for this, but I don’t remember what it was called and it was fairly limited.

              • @gh0stcassette@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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                17 months ago

                They could just spin up a container of some sort. It’s still fundamentally Linux, so it should be possible to run Android inside an lxc container the same way you can run a desktop Linux distro in docker (which is based on the lxc functionality in the Linux kernel)

                • @conciselyverbose@sh.itjust.works
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                  27 months ago

                  The point is that you have to emulate a fuckton of low level access to even have a chance of anything working. Either you replace the actual hardware access with junk data, making none of the apps work, or you break the whole permissions structure, and your security is completely gone.

                  All of those APIs were deprecated because it’s impossible to provide them in any way that resembles security.

        • @TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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          77 months ago

          So how about instead of Daddy Google deciding what’s best for everyone, they let things run and give you a warning?

          That is not what’s happening. It takes tons of work to maintain backward compatibility but you’re framing it as though it doesn’t and they’re just being a holes on purpose.

    • @TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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      07 months ago

      Software that is 10 years old and unmaintained is likely unsafe to use and therefore shouldn’t work. Windows has a lot of issues specifically because it’s backward compatible with ancient software, actually. Security and a path forward should matter more than clinging to old software that must stop working someday regardless of how hard you try to delay it. Emulation/VMs are and should be a way to work around that on desktop and it would actually be nice if mobile OSes had that too. That way at least the ancient software can be sandboxed and not a security weakpoint. The right approach though is not to do this horrible patchwork of APIs like windows which creates a security nightmare

  • Lupec
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    957 months ago

    Wow, I legit just ordered a used pixel yesterday to give graphene a try lol. Uncanny timing!

    Anyhow, that’s great news! I can really see the EU sinking its teeth into this if nothing else.

    • @newproph@sh.itjust.works
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      7 months ago

      I’ve been using graphene for years at this point and it’s the best operating system I’ve ever had on a phone. Before this my favorite phone was a jail broken iPhone 5c. I even got a pixel tablet to take notes on for college recently and put graphene on it as well.

      Only thing Google has right atm is leaving the bootloader on their phones unlockable.

      • Lupec
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        87 months ago

        Thanks for the tips, I’m a happy Aegis user already! Thankfully, my main bank explicitly doesn’t care about custom roms and I’m thinking I’ll just cut ties with the ones who do and let them know that was the reason at this point. Worst case scenario, I still have my locked down old phone.

      • Andromxda 🇺🇦🇵🇸🇹🇼
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        7 months ago

        The Pixel 6a is really cheap on the used market, and it still gets updates for at least 3 years.

        The 7a isn’t that expensive either. I recommend staying away from Fairphones, Murena or /e/OS as these are highly insecure, and the companies behind them have repeatedly proven that they don’t give even the slightest fuck about the security of their users. They don’t publish important Android security patches on time, and Fairphone even managed to fully break Android Verified Boot, by signing their ROM with the publicly available (!!!) AOSP test private signing keys. It should have been impossible to pass verification, but the vendor conducting the verification seems to be just as incompetent.

        A used Pixel with GrapheneOS is your best option, while still being affordable.

      • Lupec
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        7 months ago

        I’m in an unsupported region so I’m afraid I can’t help much :(

        In my case I just looked around a local eBay-like site and went with a reputable enough seller, fairly standard procedure there.

        • @EngineerGaming@feddit.nl
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          37 months ago

          Where I am, Pixels are not sold officially either. I got a 7a for around $300. I picked a store with a physical office and made an order not through the site, but through said office. And at least could inspect the phone before buying.

          • Lupec
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            27 months ago

            Ah, that’s a nice way to go about it! I’d have loved to inspect mine beforehand as well but the only real way to grab one around here is importing yourself and paying 60%+ import fees on the damn thing or purchasing a preowned one. My living in a remote area also means there are none close by.

      • @newproph@sh.itjust.works
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        17 months ago

        I would recommend buying a used phone from the most recent generation. I had my pixel 5 die on me about 7 months after I got it used due to a major Android update. Phone crashed hard and bricked, so don’t get a 5 (even though it was my favorite design of the pixels). I have an 8 right now I bought it refurbished on Amazon. It works great and I know it will last a while being the most recent model. Also check FB marketplace if you have a Facebook account. People in my area are selling phones often.

    • @communism@lemmy.ml
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      -37 months ago

      Enjoy! For future reference I’d recommend just getting the latest Pixel as you’ll get the longest software support. E.g. a Pixel 8a is supported till May 2031, which is plenty of time to get a lot of usage out of your phone.

        • @communism@lemmy.ml
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          27 months ago

          Personally I’m fine with 8as’ specs and don’t need any of the extra features of the Pixel 8 so I’d prefer to save the money and get an 8a. Plus 8as are supported for longer. Nothing wrong with getting an 8 instead if that’s what you want though

        • @EngineerGaming@feddit.nl
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          17 months ago

          All of the 8th are VERY expensive now. Only the 7th Pixels are approaching sane prices.

          I got a 7a even though 7 was only a little bit pricier, because it is smaller - already on the edge of what I can use with one hand, 7 would probably cross that invisible boundary. And, just as importantly - has a plastic back instead of glass.

      • Lupec
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        47 months ago

        Right, I’d love to spring up for a 8th gen pixel but I live in an unsupported region and my currency is worth fuck all so I’ll have to make do with a secondhand 7 pro lol. Still fantastic longevity all things considered.

        • @FutileRecipe@lemmy.worldOP
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          37 months ago

          I’ll have to make do with a secondhand 7 pro

          Ouch, that hits me right in the 7Pro feels lol. Make do, indeed, lolol.

          • Lupec
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            27 months ago

            Honestly, I don’t really need my phone for much so as long as the battery hasn’t degraded too much I’ll be more than happy!

            • @FutileRecipe@lemmy.worldOP
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              17 months ago

              I’m holding out for the 10. The 8 added mirrored display (so you can mirror your screen on a monitor… I’d rather this come with the Pixel Tablet 2 and the Pixel Tablet skipped it form some reason) and MTE, which GrapheneOS says is the most significant addition to security since they’ve started the OS. If those come with the 10, not to mention the 10 is supposed to have Google’s inhouse chip and not Samsung’s…yep, I’m upgrading.

              • Lupec
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                17 months ago

                Great points, I’ll definitely keep an eye on the 10! Should fit in nicely within the time I’ll be due an upgrade, give or take.

    • Marcus Lee
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      17 months ago

      I would totally buy a Pixel too but apparently most Pixels here are black market and the IMEIs are banned so I don’t wanna risk getting one that can’t connect to cell networks.

    • Marcus Lee
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      27 months ago

      I would totally buy a Pixel too but apparently most Pixels here are black market and the IMEIs are banned so I don’t wanna risk getting one that can’t connect to cell networks

      • Lupec
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        27 months ago

        Oof that’s scary. Good thing I have a decent enough return window to at least make sure stuff like that isn’t the case, at least.

  • @Wildly_Utilize@infosec.pub
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    7 months ago

    Recently moved to graphene couldn’t be happier

    I don’t care about these apps but it will only get worse over time if not addressed. I could see things as simple as Spotify, Netflix, etc. Refusing to run

    I don’t use those services either but that’s not a future I want